Fat Is…

The most concentrated

source of food energy

There are 9 calories

in every gram of fat
Fats that are liquid at
room temperature are
called oils.
(Examples: vegetable oil, canola oil, olive oil, etc.)

 Fats that are firm at

room temperature are
called solids.
(Examples: lard, butter, shortening, etc.)
 In a 2,000 calorie
diet…
It is recommended that the
maximum number of grams
of fat a person should have
in a day is 66 grams.

No more than 30% of a

person’s total calories should
come from fat sources.
No more than 10% (22
grams) of the total fat should
come from saturated fat

20% (44 grams) should be

from monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fat sources
 Calculating the Percent of
Calories From Fat:

1. Take grams of fat and

multiply by 9
2. Divide by total calories
3. Multiply by 100
 EXAMPLE:
Honey Grahams
• Serving Size = 2 crackers
• Calories = 130
• Protein = 2 grams
• Carbs = 21 grams
• Fat = 4 grams

28% calories from fat

 What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is NOT fat.
It is a “fat-like” substance present in all
body cells that is needed for many
essential body processes.
It contributes to the digestion of fat
and the skin’s production of vitamin D.
Adults manufacture all the cholesterol
they need, mostly in the liver.
All animals also have the ability to
manufacture cholesterol.
 Cholesterol In Foods
Because all animals make cholesterol,
if you eat any animal product,
including meat, poultry and fish, you
will be consuming some “extra”
cholesterol.
Other foods high in cholesterol are:
Egg Yolks
Liver / Organ Meats
Some Shellfish
 LDL’s and HDL’s
 A certain amount of cholesterol
circulates in the blood. It does not
float through the bloodstream on its
own, but in chemical “packages”
called lipoproteins. There are two
major kinds of lipoproteins:

1. LDL’s (Low-Density Lipoprotein)

2. HDL’s (High-Density Lipoprotein)
 Low-Density Lipoproteins
 Takes cholesterol from the liver to
wherever it is needed in the body.
 If too much LDL cholesterol is
circulating, the excess amounts of
cholesterol can build up in artery
walls.
 This buildup increases the risk of
heart disease or stroke.
 Thus, LDL cholesterol has come to be
known as “bad cholesterol.”
 High-Density Lipoproteins

 Picks up excess cholesterol and

takes it back to the liver, keeping it
from causing harm.
 Thus, HDL cholesterol has come to be
known as “good cholesterol.”
For most people, the amounts
and types of fats eaten have
a greater effect on blood
cholesterol than does the
cholesterol itself.

The fats found in food, such as

butter, chicken fat, or corn oil,
are made up of different
combinations of fatty acids.
 Types of Fat
 Fatty Acids:
 Organic acid units that
make up fat. There are
three types…
1.Saturated
2.Polyunsaturated
3.Monounsaturated
 Saturated Fatty Acids
 Appear to raise the level of
LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in
the bloodstream
 Food sources: meat, poultry
skin, whole-milk dairy
products, and the tropical
oils-coconut oil, palm oil, and
palm kernel oil.
 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

 Fats that seem to lower

total cholesterol levels.
 Food sources: many
vegetable oils, such as
corn oil, soybean oil and
safflower oil.
 Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

 Appear to lower LDL (“bad”)

cholesterol and help raise
levels of HDL (“good”)
cholesterol.
 Food sources: olives, olive
oil, avocados, peanuts,
peanut oil and canola oil.
All fats include all 3
kinds of fatty acids, but
in varying amounts.

Each type of fat has a

different effect on
cholesterol levels
 Other “Essential” Fatty Acids
1. Linolenic Acid
2. Linoleic Acid
 They are called “essential” because the body
cannot manufacture them.
 They must be supplied by food a person eats.
 They are both polyunsaturated fatty acids.
 They are found in the natural oils of plants and
fish.
 The body needs them for its basic functions,
including production of various hormones.
 Fats that are solid at room
temperature are made up
mainly of saturated fatty
acids.
 Fats that are liquid at room
temperature are made up
mainly of unsaturated fatty
acids.
 Hydrogenation
 The process in which missing
hydrogen atoms are added to
an unsaturated fat to make it
firmer in texture.
 This forms a new type of fatty
acid called trans fatty acid.
 Trans fatty acids have many of
the same properties as
saturated fats.
 Visible Fat
 Fat that is easily seen
 Examples: Butter on a baked
potato, layer of fat around a
pork chop, etc.
 Invisible Fat
 Fat that cannot be detected
by the eye
 Examples: whole milk, some
cheese, egg yolks, nuts, avocados,
etc.
 Functions of Fat
 Supplies Energy
 Carries Vitamins A, D, E and K through the
body
 Provides a reserve store of energy
 Promotes healthy skin
 Promotes normal cell growth
 Acts like a “cushion "and heat regulator to
protect your heart, liver and other vital
organs
 It helps you feel full longer
 Adds flavor to food
 Too Much Fat…

 People eat not only too much

fat, but the wrong kinds of fat.
Doing so can increase the risks
for serious health concerns and
illnesses.
 High fat diets are linked to…

Heart Disease

Obesity

Cardiovascular Related Problems

 Lowering Fat and Cholesterol
in the Diet
Exercise
Replace saturated fats with
unsaturated fats in the diet
Choose lean cuts of meat
Steam, boil or bake foods instead of
cooking them in oil or fat
(See the last page of your handout for
more tips)